On October 17, the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the UN gave an intervention before the Second Committee of the Seventy-First Session of the United Nations General Assembly on Agenda Item 23, dedicated to the “Eradication of Poverty.”

In its statement, the Holy See applauded the progress made in poverty reduction, but said that too many people — over ten percent of the world’s population — still live below the poverty line. Poverty reduction, it said, cannot be looked at fundamentally as an issue of economic growth but of integral human development maintaining the human person — and his social, political and spiritual needs as well as his economic and material ones —in the forefront. Poverty reduction ought to involve access to education, health care and dignified employment, as well as the participation and input of those being assisted. Women and girls especially need to be included. It also stressed the importance of social protection systems.

The statement can be found here.